Land vehicle propelled in the manner of a rowboat



July 1, 1969 E.W.'CARR 3,452,998

LAND VEHICLE PROPELLED IN THE MANNER OF A ROWBOAT Filed July 26, 19675/4 1730 Carr I United States Patent 3,452,998 LAND VEHICLE PROPELLED INTHE MANNER OF A ROWBOAT E. Wilson Carr, 94 East St., Grauby, Mass. 01033Filed July 26, 1967, Ser. No. 656,211 Int. Cl. A63g 25/00; B62m 1/14 US.Cl. 2801.11 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relatesgenerally to riding vehicles for children.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a ridingvehicle for children which resembles a boat and which is manipulated tomove forwardly and to turn by the use of oars which are handled in aconventional manner used in the moving ahead and turning of rowboats.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a childs ridingvehicle wherein conventionally operated oars will drive a wheeledvehicle upon land.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a childsvehicle which will promote the knowledge of rowing a real rowboat.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide a childs vehiclewhich is simple in design, inexpensive to manufacture, rugged inconstruction, easy to use and efficient in operation.

These and other objects will be readily evident upon a study of thefollowing specification and the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a bottom plan view of the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the drawing in detail, the reference numeral representsa childs riding vehicle, according to the present invention, whereinthere is a vehicle body 11 in the configuration of a rowboat, the bodyincluding a pointed forward end 12 to form a how, the body havingupstanding side walls 13 and a transverse extending rear wall 14 to forma transom. The body is further provided with a floor '15 and atransverse extending seat 16 upon which the child may sit.

As shown in FIGURE 2 of the drawing, the side walls 13 extend downwardlybelow the floor so as to enclose from general view a pair of rear wheels17 and a front wheel 18. Alternately shown in FIGURE 1 of the drawing byphantom lines the device is provided with a pair of front wheels 19 soas to offer a greater stability from tipping over sidewardly, it beingunderstood that the manufacturer may construct the present device witheither design.

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The rear wheels 17 are mounted upon a transverse extending shaft 20supported in bearings 21 at each end, each wheel 17 having a rewindstarter 22 secured thereto. Each rewind starter is a rewind starterone-way clutch that is similar to the rewind starters used to startsmall gasoline engines.

A cable 23 is connected at one end to each rewind starter, each cable 23being passed around a pulley 24 mounted rotatably free on a pin 25 onthe underside of the flooring 15, each cable 23 being attached at itsopposite end to an arm 26 extending horizontally below the floor 15 froma vertically extending shaft 27 supported within a bracket 28 locatedalongside each side wall 13 of the vehicle body 11.

At the upper end of the shaft 27 there are a pair of outwardly extendingoars 29 which are pivotable at an intermediate portion upon the shaft27. Each inward extending end of the oars forms a handle 30 which may begrasped by a child sitting upon the seat 16, the opposite ends of eachoar extending outwardly being configurated to form blades 31.

The wheel 18 is mounted within a caster-type wheel assembly 32 whereinthere is a bracket 33 that is pivotable freely about a shaft 34supported within a bearing 35 in the floor 15 of the body 11.

In operative use, a child sits upon the seat 16 and with his handsplaced upon the handles 30 of the oars he then proceeds to row in aconventional manner of rowing a rowboat. To make the vehicle to travelstraight forwardly, the child pulls upon both oars equally. In order toturn the vehicle, the child pulls upon one oar more than upon the otheroar, thereby making the vehicle to turn in the maner of a conventionalrowboat. It is to be noted that operation of the oars will cause a pullupon the cables 23 leading to the rewind starters attached to the rearwheels which turn upon the stationary shaft.

It is to be noted further that the body of the vehicle may be madeeither from plywood, metal or plastic as is preferred by themanufacturer.

I claim:

1. In a childs riding vehicle, the combination of a vehicle body havingthe configuration of a row boat, said body having a floor, said bodyhaving a tapered forward end to resemble a bow of a boat, said bodhaving a transversely extending rear wall to resemble a transom of aboat, said body having opposite upwardly extending side walls, atransverse extending seat supported between said side walls upon whichsaid child may sit, and said body having a propulsion mechanism whichresembles a row boat, said propulsion mechanism comprising a pair ofoars, said oars being mounted at an intermediate portion at the upperends of vertically extending shafts, each of said shafts being supportedwithin bearings located along said side walls, the lower ends of saidshafts having each a sidewardly extending arm, each said arm beingconnected to one end of a cable, the opposite end of said cable beingconnected to a winding drum and one-way clutch arrangement secured to arear wheel carried pivotally free on a stationary shaft, thus providinga mechanism whereby pivotal movement of said oar will cause rotation ofsaid wheels, said vehicle being provided 3 4 with a caster Wheel at itsforward end, said side Walls Of 1,607,958 11/1926 Koehler 2801.11 saidbody extending downwardly below said floor so to 3,052,486 9/1962Malmquist 2801.11 generally hide said wheels of said vehicle, each ofsaid oars being provided with a handle at its inner end, and a FOREIGNPATENTS fiat blade at its opposite end so as to resemble a con- 5 74 4927 1 3 France ventlonal 446,970 3/1949 Italy.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,0 0 11/1919 Benas 2801.11 10U.S.Cl.X.R. 1,392,565 10/1921 French 2s0 243 280-243 KENNETH H. BETTS,Primary Examiner.

